The villa is basically two houses (two floors). Beautiful view, garden area. Kitchen equipment is limited with e.g. no dishwasher and limited glassware etc. Access is steep hill with narrow turn, but not a big problem. We had a great week with maximum of 10 persons.

Me and my family made the trip from Paris by car and we were happy to find that the house is as welcoming as it looked on the pictures. There were 9 of us, so we rented out both the ground floor apartment and the one above, and it was spacey enough for all of us. Luisa showed us around the house and even had the kindness to take us to the grocery to store in Perledo nearby. She remained at our disposal on Whatsapp in case we experienced problems or needed tips on things to do around Varenna and the lake area, which she knows well. The house is ideally located at the center of the lake, making it very easy for us to take the ferry to Bellagio, Cadenabbia or other neighboring towns. The top apartment is very convivial, with a large kitchen, living room and balcony with a beautiful view of the lake facing Menaggio - Villa del Balbianello is even visible in the distance. The heating worked well, and the hot water supply was sufficient for everybody. Since we arrived with two cars (one of which was pretty large in size), the spacey garage offered with remote-controlled sliding door was ideal. Safety-wise, there's an entry gate (remote-controlled too) and the area is very residential and quiet. Going to Milan for the day is very easy - the Varenna-Esino train station is at the foot of the mountain where the villa is located, and you can even make your way down by foot with the stairs for pedestrians. The shortest itinerary to Milano Centrale is only 1 hour long and the roundtrip ticket only costs about 15 euros. Varenna is one of the prettiest villages in the area, with lovely lake views, narrow streets, an VIIIth century church and a small harbor with ferries communicating the town with the other bank. It also has two wonderful villas with impressive gardens - Villa Monastero is a definite must-see on a sunny day. Up the mountain, Perledo also has its share of landmarks - Castello di Vezio is an interesting place history-wise and the pedestrian road that runs through the woods to the castle is very peaceful (the monument, however, features a rather saddening collection of trapped birds). For groceries, make sure you're aware of the opening hours of the stores nearby (in the winter season they tend to close definitely before 1pm). We spent a fantastic week, and thank Luisa for her hospitality!